


Lead Me Home with the Beat of Your Heart (w/ ART)

by CeeSaltSanctuary



Series: Merlin Digital Artwork [3]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Captured Arthur, Digital Art, Fanart, M/M, but you basically know what happens, kind of an open-ish ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-01
Updated: 2020-06-01
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:20:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24486523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CeeSaltSanctuary/pseuds/CeeSaltSanctuary
Summary: Arthur is captured and Merlin is searching for a way to find his King when he realizes he needs to look inward and look with the connection that he and the King share that is stronger than the destiny they forged.
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Series: Merlin Digital Artwork [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1779868
Comments: 2
Kudos: 54
Collections: Scruffy Pendragon Fest





	Lead Me Home with the Beat of Your Heart (w/ ART)

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! This is my first fanfic ever! No beta, since I'm writing this at 2 in the morning and trying to post it before I'm even later than the already late that I am to post for this fest! So let me know if I made any mistakes or anything to help with my writing! Please let me know what you think and enjoy!!:)

It had been several weeks of panicked searching and barely contained nerves that brought Merlin’s mind to remind him of the current dilemma. The King had been captured and Merlin hadn’t been there to protect him. It was supposed to be a routine patrol and being Court Sorcerer meant he had more responsibilities than before, so he had been convinced by Arthur himself that he was unneeded. Arthur had been so convincing, pointing out that since they had removed the ban on magic and brought upon the Golden Age that they were destined to, that there had been barely any attacks in the kingdom. Usually, this did little to persuade Merlin that his husband would be fine without him, but he had a point and Merlin needed to catch up on some work that he couldn’t put off any longer and so he let himself be lulled into a misplaced sense of security that was currently his life’s biggest regret. That had been weeks ago and Merlin had been driving himself crazy with no news of Camelot’s King and none of his personal attempts to find him leading to anything. Merlin had tried everything he knew, but there seemed to be a powerful sorcerer blocking his scrying attempts and other locating spells he attempted to use. Merlin was running out of spells to try and was nearing a hopelessness that threatened to drown him when he was called down to the throne room for a letter that had been delivered. Camelot had received a ransom for King Arthur, and Merlin had felt an immense sense of relief flood through him at the assurance that Arthur was still alive, for the time being. That had been 3 days ago and Merlin was nearing despair when he decided to call the Great Dragon for assistance with bringing Arthur home. 

Kilgarrah, in usual fashion, proved to be a cryptic and almost useless resource, but something he had said was stuck in Merlin’s head. “You are connected by destiny, a thread that has been fated and forged in magic and nature from the time the prophecies came to light. There is nowhere in this world one can go that the other cannot follow.”

Merlin returned to the castle late that night and stayed up most of the night as thoughts consumed him. He only got a few hours of rest before he was up and pacing in his and Arthur’s shared rooms, attempting to deduce what the Great Dragon could have been alluding to. This was done while pacing the entire length of the room back and forth, as Merlin had always expressed his nervous energy through movement. Merlin thought over what Kilgarrah said and analyzed it until he couldn’t stand to pace his room anymore. Moving swiftly, he ran through the castle, determination keeping his normal clumsiness at bay. He ran through the Lower Town and through the main gates and moved forward into the lush surrounding forest. Merlin let his feet take him, with no thought for a destination. He kept mulling over the words and found his focus to be on this supposed thread between him and Arthur. When Merlin finally paid attention to his surroundings, he found himself in the clearing that had been the last place they definitively knew the King had been in. 

Merlin looked around at the clearing and noted what he was able to see. There was still evidence of a fight, though most of it had been soothed by time and nature reclaiming itself. Merlin knelt by a tree that was still darkened with the blood spilled there when the knights did their duty to protect their king at all costs and noticed something that had escaped the initial sweep a small distance away. He saw a piece of one of his old neckerchiefs from his first few days as Arthur’s manservant. 

He had given it to Arthur when they had first entered their courtship and they had to hide from Arthur’s father. Arthur had jokingly teased Merlin and asked him if he was to be gifted with a favor for the upcoming tournament since he was being such a girl about it. At first, Merlin shot him a glare, as he was annoyed that Arthur still hadn’t realized how many times people attempted to kill or spell him during these events and they continued on with their back-and-forth teasing. When the day came, Merlin was helping Arthur with his armor and when he finished, he stopped Arthur from leaving the tent. He took a scrap of cloth from his pocket and tied it around Arthur’s rerebrace and informed him that even though the world couldn’t know the love they held for each other yet, he could still show the world that Arthur was supported and believed in. Arthur took a long look at the favor after Merlin finished tying it in place and then gazed at him with adoration, awe, and love in his eyes. He pulled Merlin in for a passionate kiss before he was called to make his appearance. Ever since that day, Arthur made sure to always have Merlin’s favor on him at all times. 

Finding the cloth tore at Merlin’s heart and he struggled to contain the anguish that clawed in him. He moved toward it and knelt to the ground to pick it up. He let himself just hold it and imagine where Arthur could be. Without intending to, his magic flared to life and a triskelion lit up before his eyes and he could feel the beginnings of a thread linking him to something and was unsure what could be on the other end, even though he began to get an idea. He let himself close his eyes and focus on the thread. Unseen to anyone else, his magic ignited and began to travel north to his other half. 

* * *

Arthur was getting agitated. He had been in captivity for several weeks and there had been little change in routine. The last thing he remembered of his attack was a pain in his head before everything faded to black and he woke up in that blasted cell. It was just supposed to be a routine patrol before the bandits had come and the first thing he could think of, was how angry Merlin was going to be with him after he told him, _I told you so._ As Arthur moved further into the world of the living, he assessed his surroundings. The cell he had been placed in was dingy, and he could tell, had not been used in a long time. There was a small pile of fresh hay that had been recently moved there for its newest occupant and the stone walls kept the cell cooler than normal for this time of summer. He had been shackled to the wall with one hand with strong iron that had been reinforced. There were no windows in the cell, and so Arthur had to keep track of the days by the meals he was given. He received a stale loaf and goblet of water in the morning and some porridge and water in the evening like clockwork. He knew that they were keeping him for ransom, as someone had come to gloat when he had first arrived, though he was told that they would have some fun before the ransom was sent. That was 3 weeks ago and he still had no idea if the ransom had been sent or not. Arthur scratched at the beard that had grown to adorn his face during his captivity that seemed to exemplify his current mood, irritated, rugged, and ready to go. As he was taking in that moment to breathe and focus his mental energy, one of the captors came by and he knew that there would be another session today. 

Arthur was not a fan of the “fun” that his captors seemed to enjoy to no end. They would unshackle him from his cell wall only to place handcuffs around his wrists to move him. They would take him to a seemingly ordinary room, if it weren’t for the bloodstains that darkened the room, not only physically but the very air of the room, as well. Here he was tortured and subjected to continuous pain until he was close to passing out every few days. They knew that he needed to be left alive and relatively functional, but that was the minimum condition that the King needed to be kept in. Arthur never gave them the satisfaction of crying out, but he had to admit to himself that this was becoming difficult to maintain. When he was delivered back to his cell, Arthur would find his thoughts circling back to Merlin. He was glad that he hadn’t been on the patrol with him, and that he was safe in Camelot. He also knew that Merlin was doing everything in his power to find him and that he just had to bide his time until Merlin came for him. He never felt weak when he relied on Merlin, as he knew that their bond ran deep and they were meant to protect each other. They were closer than two humans could be, as if their souls had been halved and placed in two beings to eventually find each other and reform into a complete form. If he closed his eyes, he could see Merlin’s smile and the twinkle he got in his eye when he would move in for, what he thought, was an unexpected kiss, but his eyes gave him away every time (not that Arthur said anything about it, it was one of the favorite parts of his days). He let thoughts of Merlin fill his head as he let himself doze between meals and before he knew it, he was being dragged up to be tortured. He was brought to the room, and then later left in the same exhausted that he always left their torture sessions. 

On the way back, he was handcuffed again and swiftly moved towards his cell, but during the walk he felt something new. He felt a warmth blossoming in his chest, over his heart. He couldn’t explain it, but it felt like Merlin and the feeling he got when they were with each other, just comfort and a warmth that could alleviate all his worries. He found his aches and pains slipping away minutely, enough for him to feel like he had only had a sore night sleeping and not like he had been tortured for days on end. He found himself straightening his back and standing tall and proud. He stood before his cell filled with renewed determination and resolve. Merlin had found him, he could feel it, and he knew it would only be a matter of time now before Merlin came to rain hell down on those who had dared to capture his King. He entered his cell and felt himself be shackled back to the wall as the warmth slowly left his body, only for his mind to wander back to Merlin and how much he was looking forward to seeing his husband again. 

* * *

Merlin immediately felt the moment his connection to Arthur ignited. He kept his eyes shut and found himself looking at Arthur through his mind’s eye. He could see that Arthur had been injured and most likely tortured if the strategic bruises and cuts were anything to go by. Merlin could feel the anger burn in his chest, but he calmed himself to make sure he didn’t lose his connection to Arthur. He sent some of his magic through their link to hopefully soothe Arthur’s injuries as he was too far at the moment to do anything else. While he was sending his magic, he took the time to look at Arthur’s surroundings. He saw the dilapidated castle that the bandits had taken refuge in and that Arthur was currently trapped in. It was one that Merlin remembered seeing on one of his and Arthur’s many travels and knew it to be 2 days of hard riding to the North of Camelot. Knowing where Arthur was being held, Merlin slowly drew his magic back into himself. Merlin opened his eyes as the gold left his eyes and looked to the North. He knew where his King was and those bandits would regret the moment they decided to take Arthur from him. 


End file.
